My New Baby(1972 VW Super Beetle)

[OldGuy43]

Almost forgot.
One more very important hint. Make sure the battery has the little plastic cover installed over the positive post. If it's not there and someone is in the back seat (the battery is under the back seat) there is a very real possibility of a short to the seat springs and a fire!

Burned up the back seat cushion in a "67 Fastback because of that little error.

When taking off and reinstalling the rear axle nut it must be installed with 30mkg (216 foot pounds) minimum or you will find yourself driving down the road and, on seeing a wheel and tire with the brake drum attached pass you, and come to the sudden realization that it is your wheel and tire.

 

[fuzziebutt]

I learned to drive in a '69 that belonged to my boyfriend. So I learned to drive a stick. I loved that little car, and still wish I had one, and that was 36 years ago!!

And instead of Automatic Stick, we always called it a semi automatic. But the one I drove had a clutch and all, nothing automatic to it!

 

[fuzziebutt]

And weren't the Super Beetles orange? I know the Sun Bugs were gold.

 

[OldGuy43]

And weren't the Super Beetles orange? I know the Sun Bugs were gold.

The Super Beetle was basically a Beetle with a strut front suspension. They came in all colors.

 

[oldrooster]

I was told by an alleged expert one could not drive a car with an engine built for leaded on unleaded I find that hard to belive but I thought I'd ask here maybe get the truth of it.

 

[canesisters]

I had an old truck that was made for leaded gas. I bought an additive to add to each tankfull and ran it with unleaded for years.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

It has to do with the valves an the seats for the valves. Anyway the valves an seats need the lead. The fuel additives that are made for this work fine.

 

[OldGuy43]

I was told by an alleged expert one could not drive a car with an engine built for leaded on unleaded I find that hard to belive but I thought I'd ask here maybe get the truth of it.

Reb' is correct. The real problem with old (and I'm talking very old here) is that they had soft iron valve seats. The deposits from the burning of fuel containing tetraethyl lead actually helped to lubricate and protect those seats. If your car is that old it's probably had a valve job or two and surely someone replaced the seats with hardened or sintered metal ones.

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Quote: Didn't remember the science behind it, just that the lead lubricated the softer metals. Been 15 years or so sense college an that was part of the "history of" lectures back then. Really unless you are driving a 60+ year old barn find, unleaded fuel should be fine at this point. If you do have one of those 60+ year old barn finds then update it an replace the valves an seats with chrome molly.


Diesel on the other hand was changed in 2007... By law you have to run the new stuff in anything built after that date.... Don't run that new stuff in anything older. The new stuff is not as good of a lubricant an fuel system parts are failing like crazy.